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GAZA, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinians have largely condemned on Wednesday the Israeli naval commandos interception of a female solidarity vessel from reaching the shores of the Gaza Strip.
Adham Abu Selmeya, spokesman of the national movement to defeat the Israeli blockade, told Xinhua that the Israeli naval commandos forces intercepted a solidarity vessel that carried 13 female solidarity movement activists.
The name of the Gaza-bound vessel is called "Zaytoona" or olive, sailed from Europe and aimed at reaching the shores of the Gaza Strip that has been under Israeli blockade since Islamic Hamas violent takeover of the coastal enclave in 2007.
"Contacts with the captain and the crew of Zaytoona were disconnected after the vessel was surrounded by several Israeli naval forces gunship boats when the vessel reached the territorial waters of the Gaza Strip," he said, adding that "then we knew that the vessel was intercepted."
Abu Selmeya strongly condemned the interception of the vessel and using force to prevent it from reaching the shores of the Gaza Strip, adding "the Israeli occupation prevented the ship from bringing its humanitarian message of solidarity with 1.9 million Palestinians living under siege for 10 years."
Israel's military has announced that its forces intercepted the vessel, which started its journey from Spain to France and then to Italy. The vessel stopped for several days in one of the Greek Islands for maintenance and get fuels before carrying on with sailing to the Gaza Strip.
The plan was to send two vessels: one is called Zaytoona and the other is called Amal, or Hope. However, Hope was unable to carry on sailing to Gaza due to technical problems.
Sending the vessels to the Gaza Strip was organized by the Coalition of Liberty Flotilla which includes several non-government organizations, based in Europe and supporting the Palestinian people. The coalition had failed in sending vessels to the Gaza Strip, where Israel always intercept them before reaching Gaza.
In 2010, six ships and vessels called the Freedom Flotilla tired to reach the shores of the Gaza Strip, but were intercepted by the Israeli naval commandos forces.
Nine Turkish activists were killed and dozens were injured and arrested by Israeli naval forces on the board of the vessels which were carrying humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. Enditem
